Bengals running back Giovani Bernard steps behind the camera and talks about his love for photography.
The Enquirer/Sam Greene

Cincinnati Bengals running back Giovani Bernard (25) takes the field as he's introduced for the first quarter of the NFL Week 1 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Baltimore Ravens at Paul Brown Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Sept. 10, 2017. At the half, the Bengals trailed 17-0.(Photo: Sam Greene/Enquirer)

In December 2011, Adrian Peterson tore the anterior and medial cruciate ligaments in his left knee in a game against Washington at FedEx Field.

A shade more than eight months later, Peterson opened the season in the Minnesota Vikings backfield – the incredible start to an incredible 2,097-yard season in which he won the league’s Most Valuable Player award.

It’s the start of this story, because of how incredible it was. Unbelievable, even, at the time.

Fast forward five years.

Giovani Bernard dressed quietly on Sunday night, Sept. 10, 2017, in Paul Brown Stadium. It was his first game since Nov. 20, 2016 – his last appearance on the turf in Cincinnati, where he tore his left ACL. Just shy of 10 months.

There wasn't much fanfare, though. Few stayed around to talk to him after.

“It felt really good to be out there. It felt really good just to be with my teammates out on the field in front of our crowd," Bernard said. "Something that I was looking forward to for a very long time. And to be able to do it, obviously be able to play the way I wanted to play, just worked out well. Obviously, you know the result really isn’t, but it’s a good feeling to come back from an injury. That’s all.”

Ten months is incredible. But let’s split hairs.

Bernard’s first live NFL action, first game, technically, was in Washington – at FedEx Field – on Aug. 26 in the Bengals’ third preseason game. Six days past nine months. He quickly dressed after that game and got out of the locker room.

And he could have played before then, in the eight-month window post-injury. It’s just that team decided it wasn’t in his best interests to do so.

“I think any time you have a significant injury like he had, the same injury that ended a lot of guys' careers throughout this league, it’s amazing to see a guy come out and perform at such a high level so quickly,” Jeremy Hill said of his teammate.

Cincinnati Bengals running back Giovani Bernard runs downfield on a catch against Baltimore in the 2017 regular season opener.(Photo: Kareem Elgazzar)

On Sunday, Bernard finished with 79 yards of total offense in the Bengals’ 20-0 loss. He was explosive, quick – fast. This he and the team knew ahead of time. When he was back on the field for the first day of training camp (eight months after injury) – the club’s internal GPS tracking system noted he was as fast as he was prior to the knee trauma.

Hill has occupied a locker next to and shared meeting rooms with Bernard his entire career.

“I think it’s definitely inspiring to see someone put so much work in and go through some of the obstacles and hurdles just to get back – but not only just that – but also playing at a high level,” Hill said. “I think that’s the part that kind of gets left out. A lot of people come back, but they’re not themselves. To come back and play at such a high level is definitely inspiring.”

Just don’t tell anyone else about it.

On tap today

The Bengals have, basically, their Friday schedule with a walkthrough only.

But – come see first round pick John Ross make his Beyond The Stripes debut tonight at the Holy Grail Banks.

CLOSE

Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Andrew Billings was the first guest on the fifth season of Beyond The Stripes, presented by JosephAuto.com
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